Random thoughts, stolen images, hidden conversations and incoherent babble from beyond the wall of sleep. Odd bits of music and so-called worldly wisdom may creep in from time to time.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Gimme shelter

So today's been reasonably profitable in mainly abstract ways. I spent a few hours actually working somewhere in the Glenrothes area doing relevant research and dodging persistent and irritating rain showers. It was tiring but not tiresome and now I know a few things I didn't yesterday.There is a certain dripping and rundown quality about this part of Fife that's hard to love (but I kind of love Fife). All the houses seem ill shaped, designed to need the maximum maintenance, and with poor and cramped access for both cars and pedestrians. People don't really figure, they're just artist's models. Evidence (if you needed it) that many of the people who designed these angular worlds had no intention of ever living in them and were chained to some austere vision and set of costs that made space and light unaffordable and undesirable. Anyway the chickens are home to roost and this once futuristic set of hen houses now looks tired out and unloved. Meanwhile the screwy and thoughtless developments roll on with huge carpets of Asda, Lidl, Aldi and Morrisons stores springing up in the middle of a great plain of roundabouts and traffic calming measures. Really? It's people calming we need to practice and that should be reflected in some decent, even thoughtful design. Some regular teaching on Taoism might help. Free copies of Tao Te Ching for all (collect yours from the Asda helpdesk).As I means of cleansing my mind I got home and repeatedly played "Gimme Shelter" on the guitar (badly) for about half an hour. That's this small corner of the universe sorted out.